Recap: Texas 4000

It needs to be said that I did not write enough about the Texas 4000 when I did my first (casting call) post. The Texas 4000 is not a fashion event. It's so much more than that. Shannon Kintner, an Adored Austin reader and Texas 4000 rider emailed me, telling me a little more about it:

"We're a group of 47 UT students biking 4,600 miles from Austin to Anchorage, AK this summer. Every mile we ride we're all required to raise $1 that goes directly to the M.D. Anderson Cancer Research Center in Houston. We all ride for someone we know - parents, friends, uncles, cousins, teachers, friend of a friend, girlfriend's parents - who have been affected by cancer in some way. We also focus on supporting those who have fought, are fighting or who have lost someone to cancer. This is why spreading our message is so important."

The fashion show was a very small part of their fund raising efforts, and the night was a great success, bringing in over $17,000! I was so pleased to help out in a tiny way by helping to cast and coordinate the runway show. Here's some of the beautiful models I was honored to work with:

I have a cute story: as I was outside grabbing snapshots of the models, Melissa Abrantes came up to me and said, "I promise I'm not a creeper, but I read your blog! Hi. I'm Melissa." I love meeting Adored Austin readers in the wild... seriously, it's one of my most favorite things ever, so when she introduced herself, I started doing my happy dance. She introduced me to her bike Fernando, and we had a nice time chatting about the ride. Get this, y'all: She, like some of the other riders, does not consider herself a hard-core athlete, so I have to give her kuddos for taking on such an awesome challenge. If you feel inclined to donate to the Texas 4000, Melissa is a bit short of her goal, so please consider donating to her ride (you can simply type "Melissa Abrantes" in the description field). Every little bit helps; even a $1, and they are required to raise one dollar for every mile they ride. If you think cancer sucks, make a donation and think of folks like Shannon and Melissa who are taking on this big challenge to raise awareness and money for those taking on an ever bigger challenge: fighting cancer. I donated $50 (I'll buy my flared jeans some other time); I hope others can give some, too.